[37] Because Tex was a DH, Girardi didn't have the option of using Thames for Berkman, who is awful as a righty. Also, had he used Thames for Berkman and Buck goes to the righty, you can keep Granderson in the game instead of needing Thames to hit for him. That would also further serve the defense.

[58] Maybe...or maybe not. Does Tex make a better stretch on Jones infield single? Does last inning work out differently if Thames hit for Berkman? It's a one run game, so every minor nitpick could in fact be the reason they are losing.

[79][82] I'm so happy Cashman didn't trade anybody of any value to get us bullpen help.
And all this relief goodness is without Marte or Aceves -- both cooked for the season. (I do hope they can both return next year.)

Oh, lastly, Baltimore is lurking. They have 3 home and 3 away left against each of the top three teams in the AL East. Will Buck push them extra hard to beat his old team?
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But here's the part that's obvious - everyone knows that a good manager can make a difference for a youngish, shitty, feckless team that is going nowhere.

A good manager can make a difference for a team that is playing "don't give a f'" ball and playing it badly.

The real question is: can a manager make that much of a difference when you are comparing two top level teams? Everyone knows that is the real question, and to pretend that this situation comes even close to posing a relevant query is to be utterly disingenuous.

I thought Girardi's worst moment of this series was allowing Roberts to beat the Yankees in the 7th inning of the first game. Other than that? Shit happens. Posada had a concussion and everyone was going nuts over him not being in the game. I have criticisms of Girardi, like anyone else, but what we have here is a fickle nut job like AJ coughing up every tie in Game 1, CC finally succumbing to the law of averages, a few guys being banged up, Jeter doing his best impression of a black hole, and a team across the way that has only known shitty for the longest time and is now fired up as hell to play a few "what the heck, let's go for it" games.

And Buck has caught a major flier with this particular one - the Orioles are a COMPLETELY different team with Roberts actually playing. Wax all you want about Buck, and I don't doubt he's a shot of what the previously hapless O's needed, but I'll bet you that Roberts return has as much to do with the ball they've played of late as anything else.

The other thing that's being completely left out of any discussion is that it has always been known that Buck is perfect for a current-Orioles situation and what has always been questioned is whether or not his style works with a veteran, already-successful team.

But when your argument is based on irrational dislike, it's bound to be disingenuous.

Similarly, a group I was in during college still jokes about one "Craig Montclair." I don't think I was certain if the guy was merely myth or pseudonym (as I suspected) until a few years ago, by which point I realized I was almost entirely certain "Montclair" was at most an alter ego.

I caught on fairly quickly to the fact that Cyrus T. Elk was a name to baffle the administration with or to fill in on "name required" sheets as a Mickey Mouse-substitute with far more panache.

No joke, from this one group, we have had TWO five-time Jeopardy champions, and both managed to mention Mr. Elk during their appearances.

One was far enough ahead in one of his games to mark his final answer down as "Who is Cyrus T. Elk?"

Champion.

Happy New Year and Non-New Year to all banterers, alike. I just got done watching my synagogue's service via webcast. Believe it or not, the sermon began with a story about Bucky Dent's big fly. I guess it was on Rosh Hashanah? Funny, I remember watching it - must be because we are casually religious, at best, and the kids were only expected to go in the mornings.

I'm betting I had forgotten the holiday existed by the time I was home and that game was into the later innings.

It was a good story, though, about a girl who brought her transistor radio with an earpiece into synagogue, and without realizing what she was doing, jumped up in synagogue screaming, "Bucky Dent just hit a home run!"

Of course, if she had been in Boston, you would have had to tack on an extra word and another sin...

[98] Oh, no. I fear I always need every last minute before they close the books. Plenty of sin to atone for - although I imagine to be human is to need the full run of days. Yom Kippur is where I truly pay. A hypoglycemic going head to head with fasting - it ain't pretty but it does put in the work.

Thanks for the new year's wishes and back at you, if you're on that calendar, as well (actually, I'm secularized to the point where the Gregorian is really my calendar, but the period between the two big days does mean something to me).